Heart Full

Asanas:

Bakasana (crow)
Downdog
Flying side Crow
Gomukasana Arms
Plank Pose
Puppy Pose
Salamba Sirsasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Urdhva Vrksasana (handstand)
Vrksasana (Tree)

Gomukasana Arms

Gomukasana arms, the act of reaching behind your head with one arm and swirling your other around and up behind your back. This was one of the first ever yoga poses I had done, that so clearly differentiated yoga to me from just “stretching” that my first attempts at it are etched clearly in my mind. It looks deceptively easy, and with the smooth voice of my instructor I had believed it to be easy. But it was all I could do to get my hands even CLOSE let alone touch. I struggle with this pose even today, as I’m sure many other yoginis do who spend their alter ego lives hunched over a computer. But in this day and age there aren’t many other poses so therapeutic, energizing and uplifting.

Benefits

• Stretches the arms
• Opens the heart
• Expands lungs to breathe deeper

Tips

• When preparing for this pose try to warm up with the shoulders with gentle rotations.
• Take opposite elbows behind your back and encourage a heart opening
• Be Patient don’t constrain your back by over arching  just to get the fingers to touch.

Bakasana (Crow Pose)

Bakasana commonly referred to as “crow” is often one of the first arm balances beginners learn to move into. When I was first proposed Bakasana — it was at a NYSC gym / yoga class. The class had consisted of a lot of “stretching” and then sort of unexpectedly (at least to me) we were encouraged to plant our hands, move forward and ‘lift” yourself into crow. I thought “noway”, and at that time that was indeed right, my body was in “noway” going to move into crow. I wasn’t prepared mentally, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what this pose was all about, nor was i prepared physically, my wrists threatened snapping if I so much as put more than 50% of my body weight on them. Fast forward years later during my 2008 Kaya yoga teacher training, I remember just when I had achieved crow. Practicing in the smaller studio at NY Yoga, I was admiring fellow trainee Jana’s crow. She encouraged me try, I said ” I can’t. It seems like I’m almost there but somehow I can’t balance“, but I tried anyways. And something about the way she said “keep lifting! so excitedly emphatic, that I somehow did just that. I’m happy to report today that my wrists are well intact, and learning this pose has been one of the most exhilarating yogic journeys yet. Take flight, and find yours.

Benefits

• Strengthens arms and wrists
• Stretches the upper back
• Strengthens the abdominal muscles
• Opens the groins
• Tones the abdominal organs

Tips

• When preparing for this pose just try to add some weight on your hands. Get them use to the ideas
• Practice chaturanga, this will build the necessary strength
• Practice Balasana (child’s pose) to learn how to achieve the child like position (except lifted)
• Malasana a place of rest and preparation

Downward Facing Dog

Downward facing dog is one of the most fundamental poses of yoga, you’re not likely to go to a class and not do a down dog. But it is also for many people one of the most difficult. It’s a mild inversion, asking us to see our world just a little differently. To do it properly, your shoulders shoulders should open, your thighs inwardly rotate, and your sit bones lifted. It’s a lot to ask for a beginner, and even an experienced practitioner. For most, your first downdog will feel heavy on the wrists, and the discomfort of the heaviness is exacerbated as the class goes further, returning to the pose time and again.

I remember my first downdog, I felt I was doing it right, yet somehow I intuitively knew I didn’t look like some of the other practitioners in class, who I knew were doing it “right”. How can it *not* feel heavy on my wrists I thought. But one day, with enough devotion… it just doesn’t.

Benefits:

Plank Pose

Plank Pose has traditionally always been one of the more accessible poses in yoga. For beginners teachers often call it “top of a push up”. When I first started my practice, I tried to do a “good” plank pose, being conscious of where my hips were, how strong my arms were, and how I was grounding my hands. Over time, as I became more interested in other poses, I let this one go. One day I was literally sagging at the hips, sinking into my arms, and more then one teacher had to “encourage” my hips up. I found that in my mental check list I knew I could do this pose, so if I let it hang out once in awhile, it was OK, I could always go back and do it properly. This literally become my hang out pose.

But I’ve revisited it since then. I see myself, and feel myself in the pose, and realize I never did actually have it. There was always something not quite engaged, some thing that let my mind wander and so maybe my core was soft, or maybe my knees buckling just a touch … And it had a rippling effect. I realized plank pose was at the foundation of my asana practice, and it needed to be strong, or I wouldn’t be able to build.

Benefits

* Strengthens the arms, wrists, and spine
* Tones the abdomen

Follow-Up Poses
* Adho Mukha Svanasana
* Bakasana
* Chaturanga Dandasana

Parsva Bakasana

Side crow (Parsva Bakasana) had long eluded me, much like its’ predecssor crow (bakasana). While being physically strong enough to carry my weight, I couldn’t find balance.  Concentration, and feeling the internal “lift” (mula bandha) that zippering effect of being light even though, neither mass mor weight has changed, was essential for taking flight.  The key to this pose is remembering to bring your heart forward, and press down to come up. Try not to lift the buttocks, it should be near your heels, it’s the arms that find length, and straighten with strength.

Once crow became part of my practice, so did side crow, as thy’re effectively the same pose, just one is with a twist — to shake things up.  It requires a tad more faith, and a little more willingness to let go of the fear. Don’t worry, if your chaturangas dandasanas are strong you can find the lift — though yes at first one arm will likely take a little more weight than the other. Bring the heart forward to face the fear, and the balance will come naturally.

Benefits

Puppy Pose (Anahatasana)

I practiced this pose thinking it was a strange variant of downdog. Then during the YJ NYC conference of 2009 I heard Shiva Rea refer to it as Anahatasana, heart chakra pose. I realized the emphasis of this pose was about opening my heart, and the pose took a different dimension to me. As I developed the pose I realized not only does it open my heart it’s a deep shoulder opening as well. Open shoulders is key to enlivening the heart, and the perfect anecdote to the end of a computer filled day.

Alignment

Benefits

Salamba Sirsasana

My, Everest, the Supported headstand. It was this particular Asana, that I believed once I could accomplish in the center of the room I would have accomplished *everything* I wanted to do in yoga. I watched enviously, as some students seemed to effortlessly lift into their headstand, and fearlessly hold it. It took me about 6 months to be able to “kick” up into it against the wall, and there I stayed. My teacher, advised to never kick up into it, it built bad habits. I didn’t listen to her, I was so excited to be able to do it against the wall, that I thought it would be long before I could do it in the center of the room.

Six months later, I was nowhere near doing it in the center of the room. A couple months after that, I was still a wobbly disaster. I had to re-learn it, without the crutch of the wall. I had to build the strength to take it one step at a time, and slowly lean to trust my body, and not fear falling. Falling, in fact is liberating, because having done it a few times, you realize you’re just fearing a somersault.

It is known as the king of asanas for many of it’s benefits, both physically and psychologically.

Benefits:

Cautions

• Back injury
• Headache
• Heart condition
• High blood pressure
• Menstruation
• Neck injury
• Low blood pressure: Don’t start practice with this pose
• Pregnancy:  don’t take up the practice of Sirsasana after you become pregnant.
• Sirsasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose.

Preparatory Poses

I’ve read the poses that Yoga journal recommends, and frankly I’m not sure I buy them. This is an intermediate-advanced pose, be honest with yourself and honor your practice. This pose also has a lot of ego, the hardest part will be learning to let go of that ego. After that, it’s all about the downward dogs – to dolphins. You can never do enough of them.

Urdhva Vrksasana (Handstand)

Almost nothing causes students more dread than hearing the instructor announce “handstand” practice. Just the thought of standing on our hands causes anxiety. It seemed like an impossible task, to actually do handstand in the middle of the room. My teacher Kristin, didn’t push it, “don’t worry” she soothed, “I can’t do handstand in the middle of the room… if it’s not something you want to include in your practice you shouldn’t feel like you HAVE to”. And so I didn’t. Until one Sunday morning, Yadana invited me to take a Kula yoga class with her. From the minute I walked into the room I knew something was different, people were doing sit ups and kapalabhati — an unusual opening. Then, with little most warm up they began going into advanced sun salutations and it wasn’t long before the teacher (David) offered “handstand” as part of the sun salutation. “Noway” I thought. And was shocked to see half the class move into handstand, including the two girls next to me. Not only did they move into it, but in mat to mat packed class they held it. I was shocked, amazed and completely intimidated. Yadana and I left the class feeling overwhelmed. But the pictures of my neighbors stayed with me, how they looked so peaceful in a pose that caused me such fear. I found my next pose. And while I have a long way to go before I get it. I like to think I’ve made some progress.

Preparatory Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Bakasana
Pincha Mayurasana
Plank Pose
Supta Virasana
Tadasana
Uttanasana
Virasana

Benefits
Strengthens the shoulders, arms, and wrists
Stretches the belly
Improves sense of balance
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression

Vrksasana (Tree)

Vrksasana is one of those deceptively difficult poses. Almost everyone thinks they can do it, even the most beginner student. It doesn’t seem like it requires much flexibility to put the sole of your foot to the upper part of your thigh. And if you can’t get it to the top of your thigh, I’ve seen people put it just above the knee. A dangerous mis-alignment driven soley by the ego. Tree pose is a difficult asana, it requires open hips, chest as well as developed calves and thighs.  Not to mention an intense sense of concentration. This is one pose you don’t want to cheat but rather grow into. With my tight hips, I struggle with it every time. And I’m tempted to jam my heel straight up to the danger zones. But learning to breathe in it, balance and encourage the opening is what will the practice further. I know though, easier said than done.

Benefits

• Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine
• Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders
• Improves sense of balance
• Relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet

Preparatory Poses

• Baddha Konasana
• Utthita Trikonasana
• Virabhadrasana II

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Diana and her bow.

Psychology
Back bending is often a fear inducing experience for students as the back represents the unknown. The front body is familiar to us, our sense organs are oriented towards the front, and our day to day activities support this familiarity. In contrast, we don’t see our back body, and when we do, it’s not the same experience as the front.  Yoga encourages us to face the fear, and bring awareness to the unknown. As our confidence grows, the practice will helps unite our conscious (front) and unconscious (back) minds.

Anatomically Focused Sequencing
Compared to other beginning / intermediate backbends such as utrasana (camel), dhanurasana (Bow), or setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge), urdhva dhanurasana (full wheel) stands out. The range of motion required of your shoulders in urdhva dhanurasana is different than the others, in full wheel we are in flexion overhead, similar to their positioning in adho mukha svanasana (down dog). In the other postures the arms and the ribcage are moving away from each other, extending.

In anatomical terms, what we usually refer to as the shoulder is the area where the arm is attached to the thorax, consisting primarily of the scapula, and the glenohumeral joint. The glenohumeral joint and the scapula have distinct range of motion. The scapula affects elevation (shoulder to ears), depression, retraction (towards the spine) and protraction. While the glenohumeral joint affects shoulder flexion, extension, int/external rotation, and abduction. The average person sitting in front of a computer all day, will probably not have the full range of motion in their shoulders, often a prerequisite for backbends.

Beyond shoulder motion, backbends (and urdhva dhanurasana in particular) require maximum chest opening. Even with fully extended shoulders, students will drop their chest, consequently moving the shoulders forward, causing strain and discomfort. A tight chest and upper back are the most common reasons for beginning students to not be able to lift into urdhva dhanurasana. Poses such as locust, and bhujangasana (cobra) will help open the chest.

Back bends also engage the lower back, pelvic floor, front groins, and quadriceps. Not only do these muscles need to be opened but deeper back bends, such as urhva dhanurasana, require significant flexibility, stamina, and strength to move into and hold the posture. Given the necessary warm-up, it’s not recommended to start off a class with deeper back bends. Conversely, since back bends have a stimulating effect on the nervous system, it’s not recommended to end a class with them either, ideally then they should be placed around the 45 min marker of a 75 min class.

From the back
At some point nearly everyone experiences back pain. For people under 45 back pain is the leading cause for visits to MDs, chiropractors, and filing disability. Root cause is often our daily activity which perpetuates stress, and poor posture. Sedentary jobs such as those in front of the computer, where the lower back flattens out, the head dips forward, and the shoulders round, can cause problems. Yet despite the prevalence of back pain, effective treatments remains elusive.

Independent studies such as those conducted by Dava Sobel, author of Latitude and Galileo’s Daughter have discovered that yoga is often the most effective treatment for patients with non-incapacitating back pain. Yoga can address the root cause such as stress or poor posture, and cater programs specifically towards strengthening or stretching targeted muscles. More often than not modern physicians may recommend surgery or “crunches”, which have mixed results.

Preparatory Poses:

- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog)
- Virasana (hero)
- Vrksasana (tree)
- Virabhadrasana I
- Salambhasana (locust)
- Utrasana (camel)
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge)
- Bhekasana (frog)
- Pincha Mayurasana (forearm stand)

Variations:
- Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana
- Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (upward facing two-foot staff)

Follow-Up Poses
- Twists
- Supta Padangusthasana (reclining big toe)
- Dwi Pada Yogadandasana (happy baby)
- Knees to chest

Benefits
- Improves respiration by opening the chest
- Strengthens lungs, chest, wrists, legs, buttocks, and spine.
- Energizes the nervous system
- Counteracts depression and fatigue
- Brings awareness to the unconscious and unknown
- Therapeutic for back pain, asthma, infertility, and osteoporosis.

Alignment Points
- Ensure the knees and / or feet don’t splay out. This movement adds pressure on the knee joints, narrows the sacral area and compresses the sacroiliac joint.
- Keep the front body relaxed
- Don’t harden the groin area, or push through the hips.
- Don’t push through lower back, even if you bend here easily, you run the risk of injuring the lower back.
- Lengthen your knees from the head, this will ease any tension in the spine.
- Take the weight in your legs rather than arms for added stability.
- Use even and deep breaths to strengthen the pose, easily distribute prana, and add stability.

Caution
- High blood pressure
- Serious lower back, disc or neck injury

Personal

As part our teacher training program, we’re suppose to do a 360 report on a pose. Our teacher, who looked all too happy, puts nine challenging, heart stopping postures in a bag, and we less-than-happy (except maybe that one student) tentatively pull out a trick, hoping for a treat. Mine is full wheel, in sanskrit it’s Urdhva Dhanurasana, upward facing bow. She said, that traditionally everyone gets the pose they least want to do, and mine was no different.

I can see why others would rather have my pose, there were other postures which to anyone else would be … more challenging. But I have a special (dark) place in my heart for urdhva dhanurasna.

The yogic seed was first planted after my chiropractor suggested a few poses to me; if I did them regularly, I could eliminate my back pains. After reviewing my first insurance-free bill from my chiropractor, yoga seemed even more appealing. A year into this relationship, I have no regrets, but the back still mildly aches. And even if I have faith in my teacher’s confidence in me, and faith in myself that I can do this with awareness, memories of the back splitting pain are very loud, very clear, and always seem to be looming around the corner. I dread doing full wheel, and I do it minimally, as in I give it a go if I’m feeling extra feisty in class.

The icing to this whole story is that I’ve only described resentment from the back, my knee also throws out in full wheel. I’ve discovered that my right foot has a tendency to angle out in a way that (over the years), has caused a dull gnawing ache in my knee. Postures like full wheel, dancers pose, and bow, exacerbate the ache.

But enough said, I’m a big girl, and I’ll take my medicine.

Week 1

Facing my nemesis, upwards facing bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana), not much of a bow yet.

Week 2

Still troubles with the right foot sickling out, but I’m able to bring more awareness to it now. I can bring my alignment closer, and I can actually feel more space.

Week 4

My feet are still splaying, and judging from the photos, I’m still about the same arch that I was 2 weeks ago. ButI feel that i’m building strength, physically and psychologically. During class now, I’m not avoiding the pose, or other back bends, even though as Josh puts it, “It an odyssey to get her into that pose”.

Week 6

I’m feeling stronger, and I have more control over my legs and feet sickling out. It is stil difficult to get me into this pose, but i’m feeling strong and more stable in it. I’m working on bringing my heart forward.

Week 7

Feeling stronger in this pose, able to consciously bring my heart forward and I’ve started lifting a foot off the floor. When i think back to my practice without back bends, I realize now how incomplete it was, and how I shouldn’t run from things I’m not good at, I fear, or just don’t trust myself to do. I believe now, that I can learn.

One Year Later…

Well a little more than one year, more like 15 months later.  I still have some work to do, my feet are still sickling out. I’ve also noticed I have a hard time placing my hands parallel. If the hands aren’t parallel, I get this  searing pain at the bottom of my hand, almost as if it’s too stretched out.  I have however, found more freedom in the full wheel, even though, I still grunt and mutter every time I press down to lift up.